From:	Steven A. Tinner bluewizard@*****.com
Subject:	GM Limits
Date:	Sat, 14 Aug 1999 10:32:47 -0400

>What limits did/do other GMs set?

First off, let me explain that when I say that Bull became a little
suicidal, I mean BULL became a little suicidal.
That's the PC, not Steve Ratkovich the player. God forbid I ever do
something to make a player suicidal!
That would certainly be sick wrong immoral evil and just plain BAD!

In general I only do the really bizarre stuff to players I know.
If I am playing with someone for the first time I try to keep things nice
and normal.
However with players like Bull, and another guy we like to call Freak, I
feel that we can get a little wilder.
OK ... a LOT wilder.

IMO SR is NOT a nice friendly game.
These characters are amoral survivors doing these illegal actions because
the must.
They are not (in general) squeaky clean nice folks.
Sure, some of them have families, and are nice to puppies, but ask the sec
guard that got fired because the KO'd him on a run if their nice people.

With that in mind, sometimes I feel justified in taking a turn down a darker
highway.
There's a lot of black in those shadows, and IMO skipping that stuff lessens
the whole SR experience.

Having said that, let me also say that IMO it's just as big a mistake to
overstress the darkness and bizarre.
There's still plenty of hope in SR too.
These runners almost as a whole plan to eventually reach a point where they
no longer have to work so hard to get ahead..

It's all about keeping a balance.

So I guess I really have no limits other than keeping the game balanced, and
not offending my players.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://listen.to/tinner
"God is my co-pilot, but the Devil is my bombardier."